Workplace Reform at the South East Queensland Electricity Board, 1984-1994

This paper explores workplace reform at the South East Queensland Electricity Board from 1984 to 1994. Workplace reform was introduced in the mid-1980s in the context of a change in senior management, the defeat of the major union after a prolonged industrial dispute, and increasing pressure from th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of industrial relations 1996-06, Vol.38 (2), p.213-240
Main Authors: Simmons, David E., Bramble, Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Australia
Electricity
Electricity industry
Labour relations
Queensland
Reform
Reforms
Work place
Workplaces
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Summary:This paper explores workplace reform at the South East Queensland Electricity Board from 1984 to 1994. Workplace reform was introduced in the mid-1980s in the context of a change in senior management, the defeat of the major union after a prolonged industrial dispute, and increasing pressure from the Queensland government for the board to adopt a more commercial orientation. The major theme of the workplace reform programme at the board was an attempt to change from a culture driven by engineers and production to one focused on customers and marketing, driven by the philosophies of total quality management. The key components were an increased emphasis on workforce training and the implemen tation of teamwork and benchmarking. While certain benefits were evident for the corporation in terms of increasing productivity and quality of service, attempts to instil an atmosphere of teamwork had mixed results.
ISSN:0022-1856
1472-9296
DOI:10.1177/002218569603800203